Meals on Wheels could hit red light

VICTORVILLE • A program that many local poor and disabled seniors rely on for food could be shut down by next week if the nonprofit doesn't resolve serious funding issues.

Organizers of High Desert Meals on Wheels have struggled to get meals to needy seniors for the past several weeks, after San Bernardino County was forced to withhold more than $100,000 in government funds because the nonprofit's budgets weren't filed according to new guidelines.

"High Desert Meals on Wheels is required to budget their money and track their expenses a certain way under state and federal law," county spokesman David Wert said in a written statement, "and it would be illegal for the county to pay them if those guidelines are not followed."

Without that money coming in from the county, the local program has accumulated a debt of more than $30,000 with Cisco, its main food provider.

For the first time in the regional program's history, Victorville and Adelanto kitchens were shut down for two days starting Aug. 2 after food shipments were delayed until Meals on Wheels received enough money from the county to pay Cisco for shipment Aug. 6. While deliveries were still made to homebound seniors, those who travel to the Victorville and Adelanto sites to receive their meals were turned away — an occurrence that has become more frequent ever since.

"If something doesn't happen by (Aug.) 31, it will be the end of the road," said Chuck Smith, president of the local group.

A change in filing requirements during the previous fiscal year was not fully understood by High Desert Meals on Wheels' executive board until last week. Because of the problem's late detection, the program was unknowingly spending more money than was being covered by the government for a year, leading to various financial problems such as missing their payroll by a week at the end of July.

"Everything was going smoothly until they made that change on us," Smith said. "By the time we recognized we were having this problem, we were in trouble."

The main changes that forced the county to withhold funding involve how the money is being allocated to Meals on Wheels and how to budget those funds.

According to monthly budgets during the previous fiscal year, Meals on Wheels was spending $1.92 more per meal for pick-ups than their contractual agreement of $5.53. While their homebound meals account was $.63 less than the allotted $5.15 per meal, the county had the right to adjust the contractual amount to exactly what was being spent per homebound meal. Therefore, there was no extra money in the homebound account to offset the deficit of pick-up meals.

After a year of not completely understanding that the county can withhold the excess money in the homebound account, along with a change in budgeting that requires monthly and quarterly reports, the future of High Desert Meals on Wheels is uncertain.

At the end of the board of directors' meeting Monday morning, a sense of confusion and panic prevailed. When the question was asked, "Have we been able to resolve anything today?" it was met with a resounding "No!"

Program director Lin Staley will be requesting a 10 percent advance on the budget for pick-up, or congregate, meals. Lin believes the program can stay ahead of the game if they can receive $41,000 — and if the county will rigorously stick to her budget, which she claims has been ignored.

Another huge hurdle that that Meals on Wheels must clear if they hope to continue the program is to find another suitable source of income. Over the past few years grants from Hesperia and Apple Valley have disappeared and donations have steadily decreased. According to Smith, the government is not meant to be the sole provider of income for the program.

"The real story is that we're scraping by our fingertips," Smith said.

Meals on Wheels is looking for any donations to help sustain the local program. To help, visit www.hdmow.com or call (760) 245-7047.

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